# Mapnik vs Matplot++

## Key differences

- Matplot++ has 1.2× as many GitHub stars as Mapnik (4.9K vs 4K).
- Mapnik had more development activity over the last 12 months: 191 commits vs 3.
- Mapnik is licensed under LGPL-2.1; Matplot++ under MIT.
- Mapnik is the older project: its repository was created in 2011, Matplot++'s in 2020.

| | Mapnik | Matplot++ |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Toolkit for rendering maps, widely used to render OpenStreetMap tiles. | C++ graphics library for data visualization with a MATLAB-like API. |
| GitHub stars | 3,965 | 4,937 |
| Commits (12 months) | 191 | 3 |
| Contributors | 98 | 50 |
| License | LGPL-2.1 | MIT |
| Language | C++ | C++ |
| Status | Active | Maintained |
| Install | – | – |

Source: https://awesomedataviz.com/compare/mapnik-vs-matplotpp/ · Data updated 2026-10-04 · Content: CC BY 4.0, Awesome Dataviz (https://awesomedataviz.com).